After getting crushed by host Morton on Feb. 21, 88-36, the Blazers fell to Hinsdale South 63-55 the next day. The Blazers beat both teams in the initial meetings of the season, but were unable to complete season sweeps of their West Suburban Gold rivals.

Morton played arguably its best game of the season, fired up to get revenge for the loss in Addison, and the Blazers didn’t do enough to stay with the Mustangs. A hot shooting Morton team led 30-13 after a quarter and 61-21 at half, not the kind of score that was expected after AT won the first time the two teams met.

“We knew they could play and we knew they were capable of that,” AT coach Brendan Lyons said. “We just didn’t expect that. A lot goes to them and their ability to do what they did tonight, but we need to look at ourselves as well and say we didn’t do a lot of things to get the game back to our tempo. We didn’t shoot well and we took quick shots and we didn’t get to the offensive glass.”

The Blazers finished 6-6 in the WSG, tying for fourth in the conference. On Wednesday, the Blazers hosted Lyons Township in a WSC crossover. LT won 67-42. It was AT’s fifth loss in six games.

Lyons has the task of getting his team to regroup ahead of the playoffs, which begin Monday. AT opens in a regional quarterfinal against North Lawndale Charter and would play top sectional seed York if they win.

“We got North Lawndale, who is a tough team, opening round at our place,” Lyons said. “It’s nice that we’re hosting and if we win we get York. It’s never going to get easy.”

AT’s recent losing skid comes partially as a result of tough competition. Each of the Blazers’ last five losses have come against teams with winning records.

The team hopes hosting the regional gives them a good chance to make some noise in the playoffs.

“We like the fact that we’re home,” Lyons said. “Obviously we play better at home. Just try to get a little bit of momentum going in there and just take it one game at a time with North Lawndale.”